Russian Oil Pipeline Makes Splash in Asia

By

Guy Chazan

Updated Jan. 15, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

LONDON—Russia, the world's top oil producer, is set to make deep inroads into Asian energy markets at the expense of Mideast rivals thanks to a new pipeline that pumps crude from the oilfields of Siberia to a new terminal on the Pacific Ocean.

The pipeline, a pet project of prime minister Vladimir Putin, is key to Russia's efforts to diversify its export routes away from Europe and tap growing energy demand in Asia. It is also...